This document provides an introduction to crystal physics, including definitions of key terms like crystalline and non-crystalline solids, space lattices, crystal structures, lattice parameters, crystal systems, and Bravais lattices. Crystal physics involves studying the physical properties of crystalline solids using techniques like X-rays to determine their atomic structure and arrangement. Solids can be crystalline, with regular periodic atomic arrangements, or non-crystalline/amorphous with random atomic positions. Crystals form lattice structures that repeat unit cell patterns of atomic bases.

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PH 0101 UNIT 4 LECTURE 1
INTRODUCTION TO CRYSTAL PHYSICS
CRYSTALLINE AND NONCRYSTALLINE SOLIDS
SPACE LATTICE
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
LATTICE PARAMETERS
CRYSTAL SYSTEMS
BRAVAIS LATTICES

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INTRODUCTION TO CRYSTAL PHYSICS
Matter exists in three states viz. solids, liquids and
gases.
All these states are composed of atoms and
molecules.
When we focus the solids, they are classified into
many types based on several properties like
electrical, mechanical, magnetic, optical, thermal
etc.,.
The main reason for these different properties of
solids is their crystal structure.

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INTRODUCTION TO CRYSTAL PHYSICS
What is Crystal Physics?
‘Crystal Physics’ or ‘Crystallography’ is a branch of physics
that deals with the study of all possible types of crystals
and the physical properties of crystalline solids by the
determination of their actual structure by using X-rays,
neutron beams and electron beams.

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CLASSIFICATION OF SOLIDS
Solids can broadly be classified into two types based on the
arrangement of units of matter.
The units of matter may be atoms, molecules or ions.
They are,
Crystalline solids and
Non-crystalline (or) Amorphous solids

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CRYSTALLINE SOLIDS
A substance is said to be crystalline when the
arrangement of units of matter is regular and
periodic.
A crystalline material has directional properties and
therefore called as anisotropic substance.
A crystal has a sharp melting point.
It possesses a regular shape and if it is broken, all
broken pieces have the same regular shape.

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CRYSTALLINE SOLIDS
A crystalline material can either be a single
(mono) crystal or a polycrystal.
A single crystal consists of only one crystal,
whereas the polycrystalline material consists of
many crystals separated by well-defined
boundaries.
Examples
Metallic crystals – Cu, Ag, Al, Mg etc,
Non-metallic crystals – Carbon,Silicon,Germanium,

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NON CRYSTALLINE SOLIDS
In amorphous solids, the constituent particles
are not arranged in an orderly manner. They
are randomly distributed.
They do not have directional properties and so
they are called as `isotropic’ substances.
They have wide range of melting point and do
not possess a regular shape.
Examples:
Glass, Plastics, Rubber etc.,

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EXAMPLES OF CRYSTALLINE AND AMORPHOUS

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ATOMIC ARRANGEMENT IN CRYSTALS
(a) mono (or) single crystals
(b) polycrystalline solids
(c) amorphous solids

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CRYSTALS
It is a substance in which the constituent particles are
arranged in a systematic geometrical pattern.

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SPACE LATTICE
A lattice is a regular and periodic
arrangement of points in three dimension.
It is defined as an infinite array of points in
three dimension in which every point has
surroundings identical to that of every other
point in the array.
The Space lattice is otherwise called the
Crystal lattice

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TWO DIMENSIONAL SPACE LATTICE

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BASIS
A crystal structure is formed by associating every
lattice point with a unit assembly of atoms or
molecules identical in composition, arrangement and
orientation.
This unit assembly is called the `basis’.
When the basis is repeated with correct periodicity in
all directions, it gives the actual crystal structure.
The crystal structure is real, while the lattice is
imaginary.

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CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
= +
Crystal structure = Lattice + Basis

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UNIT CELL
A unit cell is defined as a fundamental building block
of a crystal structure, which can generate the
complete crystal by repeating its own dimensions in
various directions.

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UNIT CELL

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CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC AXES
Consider a unit cell consisting of three mutually
perpendicular edges OA, OB and OC as shown in
figure.
Draw parallel lines along the three edges.
These lines are taken as crystallographic axes and they
are denoted as X, Y and Z axes.

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CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC AXES
XA
Y
B
Z
C
O

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LATTICE PARAMETERS
Consider the unit cell as shown in figure.
Let OA, OB and OC are the intercepts made by the
unit cell along X, Y and Z axes respectively.
These intercepts are known as primitives. In
crystallography the intercepts OA, OB and OC are
represented as a , b and c .

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LATTICE PARAMETERS
The angle between X and Y axes is represented as .
Similarly the angles between Y and Z and Z and X axes
are denoted by  and  respectively as shown in the
above figure. These angles ,  and  are called as
interaxial angles or interfacial angles.
To represent a lattice, the three interfacial angles and
their corresponding intercepts are essential. These six
parameters are said to be lattice parameters.

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PRIMITIVE CELL
It is the smallest unit cell in volume constructed
by primitives. It consists of only one full atom

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PRIMITIVE CELL
A primitive cell is one, which has got the points or
atoms only at the corners of the unit cell.
If a unit cell consists of more than one atom, then it is
not a primitive cell.
Example for primitive cell :Simple Cubic unit cell.
Examples for non-primitive cell:BCC and FCC unit cell.

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CRYSTALS SYSTEMS
A three dimensional space lattice is generated
by repeated translation of three translational
vectors a, b and c.
Crystals are grouped under seven systems on
the basis of the shape of the unit cell.
The seven crystal systems are distinguished
from one another by their lattice parameters .

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CRYSTALS SYSTEMS
The seven systems are,
Cubic (isometric)
Tetragonal
Orthorhombic
Trigonal (rhombohedral)
Hexagonal
Monoclinic and
Triclinic

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CRYSTALS SYSTEMS
The space lattices formed by unit cells are marked by the
following symbols.
Primitive lattice:P  having lattice points only at the
corners of the unit cell.
Body centred lattice:I  having lattice points at
the corners as well as at the body centre of the unit
cell.

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CRYSTALS SYSTEMS
Face centred lattice:F  having lattice points at the
corners as well as at the face centres of the unit cell.
Base centred lattice:C  having lattice points at the
corners as well as at the top and bottom base
centres of the unit cell.

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BRAVAIS LATTICES
Bravais in 1948 showed that 14 types of unit cells
under seven crystal systems are possible. They
are commonly called as `Bravais lattices’.

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